LAS VEGAS -- A vote on whether to allow Laughlin residents to declare themselves a city could have an effect on bringing in a large factory, creating thousands of jobs.
Seven thousand people live in Laughlin, and some of them want to divorce from Clark County. After an expected vote was delayed, they'll have to wait longer to see if they'll have the right to declare themselves independent from Clark County.
When many people think of Laughlin, they think of the resorts along Casino drive. But a few miles west of that, a residential community exists not much larger than many Las Vegas HOA's. If they declare their independence as a city, they would be in control of the future site of one of southern Nevada's largest factories.
Chinese company ENN Solar is looking to build a factory and power plant in Laughlin they say would permanently employ 2,000 people. Laughlin town leaders say they, and not the county, are the best group to bring those jobs in quickly.
"I think our economic conditions are certainly crisis enough. We need to respond in ways that are different than the way we've managed things in the past in order to take full advantage of this," said Dave Floodman with the Laughlin Economic Development Corporation.
A Laughlin Economic Development Group study says the town can afford to stand on it's own as a city with it's own police and fire departments. A state study disagrees with that. Clark County says they cannot bail Laughlin out if the city goes bankrupt.
After three hours of debate, state lawmakers decided this afternoon not to take a vote on scheduling a date for Laughlin residents to decide on cityhood. Instead, they'll let the Clark County Commission have the first vote next Tuesday.
As for the EBB Solar project, they are still trying to get surrounding states to agree to buy solar power from the plant they want to build in Laughlin.
